Deltora Quest 4: The Beginning
by Seorix
Summary: The beginning of a DQ4, my version. Two couples married, no kids yet. LJ, COMPLETED... finally! I'll be back; remember me! This chapter is only an author's note, esp. for Starlit Moonshadow...
1. Prologue

_**Long Forgotten**_

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_**Disclaimer: I don't own anything that's not mine in this story. **_

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**Prologue: Attack**

Jasmine scanned the horizon, looking for any irregularities. Filli chattered at her shoulder.

"What?" She asked the little animal; alarmed at the news he gave her.

Filli gave a series of short and long hoots, then started chattering once more.

"What? You're telling me..." she got up hurriedly, brushed the seat of her brown trousers and grabbed an overhanging branch. She deftly swung her legs up and hoisted her body onto it. She then stood up on the branch to repeat the sequence all the way to Kree.

As she traveled, she asked Filli over and over again, "Are you sure Kree is hurt? Can you feel him calling?"

Every time Filli answered an affirmative. Jasmine grew more and more worried as Filli guided her through the bush to Kree.

She finally found him with one wing dangling, useless at keeping him aloft. He fluttered his other battered wing slightly and cheeped softly. His body looked battered and was bloodied.

"Oh Kree!" she sighed, and sank down into the soft earth, to pick up the little raven as gently as he could. Nevertheless, it hurt the little bird, and he let out another weak cheep. Overhead, a shadow passed over hers, and she looked up to see a half-horse, half horse being glide into the horizon, to mingle with the sunset.

"Look, it's the wild girl with her bird and animals again," she heard the children of the city whisper, in close-knit groups.

"I heard she married the king just because of the riches," a girl her age said in a loud stage whisper. Plainly, this comment was for her to hear. She tried to ignore it, and carried on running to the Palace.

"Look, it's the forest girl again, carrying that annoying black bird of hers. I wish she'd just disappear off with her little pets. If it wasn't for her, I would have been queen," she heard another one say jealously. Jasmine shook her head to block out the unwelcome whispers and carried on, past the snappy group of girls, through the torturous marketplace, around the park she usually avoided because of the boys that made fun of her there.

Jasmine hurried up the palace stairs, cradling the wounded Kree gently in her hands. Filli chattered amazingly quickly for such a small creature.

"Doom!" She called with an air of anxiety. He came limping down the stairs, muttering under his breath.

"What, Jasmine?" He asked. She was clearly trying his patience. Without a word, Jasmine showed him.

"If I was in the forest or had my ointment with me, I would have been able to heal him easily, but it was only me and him. It's a wonder he survived this long. We need to get him some bandages," she said in a hurry.

"Why are you asking me? There are animal doctors all over the palace."

"Your name was the first I could think of. Now, could we please get Kree settled?"

Doom was just about to reply when none other than the king came walking down the stairs.

"I could hear your voice all the way from the library. What were"- he broke off as he noticed the almost-lifeless bundle in Jasmine's arms.

"What happened?" He asked, hurrying over. "No, wait. Don't tell me. I've heard of the creatures that make this kind of gash on their victims. They're called... hurroks?"

Jasmine nodded, and said, "The half-horse, half-hawk beings. I wonder..."

Lief tilted his head slightly, but the young adult plainly shook her head to indicate there would be spies about, listening to them.

So instead, the group of three went up the stairs again to find a healer for Kree.

"Will he live?" Jasmine asked anxiously.

"It's hard to say. The hurrok slashed his wing from the joint to just short of his chest that he might not. I'm very sorry," the doctor said.

Lief studied her face. He had never seen her look so worried for anything else.

"Jasmine?" he said tentatively.

"Yes?" she responded.

Lief sighed. "What's on your mind, Jasmine?"

Jasmine fell silent. "I'll tell you later," she muttered, looking away.

Doom spoke up. "Your Majesty, it's time you went to the meeting you were talking about earlier." Lief got the gist of this and they left, along with the doctor, leaving Jasmine alone with the silent Kree.

She sighed, and buried her face in a silk cushion. How could she have been so stupid? He would never understand the taunts the city was giving her. He was having problems of his own, already.

A silent tear made its way down Jasmine's cheek. So many problems, and no one to explain them to her.

"I think Jasmine's having a few problems of her own at the moment," Doom said gently, to Lief. They were sitting in the Library, which felt a little empty without Josef walking around, checking the books for information and stories. But Marilen was there, in his place. He couldn't see her at that moment, though.

"It's more than a few, it's so many. It's this whole marriage problem that's disturbing her, I think," Lief said, walking over to the giant stained-glass window. (Do they have windows like that?)

…_Ebony/Shadowcat._


	2. Chapter 1

**Long Forgotten – Chapter 1**

Jasmine was worried. Lief was worried. Barda was worried.

Jasmine was worried about Kree. Would he get better? What could she do to help him?

Lief was worried about Jasmine and her problems. What did the people of the kingdom say about her? Would she recover from her psychosomatic injuries?

Barda was worried about the two of them. Would they be all right? Would their marriage work out? Would Lief help solve Jasmine's problems?

Jasmine trudged across the hallway, thinking of what she would say to Lief. What could she say? 'Sorry Your Majesty, I was a little volatile in the doctor's practice. I didn't mean to tell you until you had sorted out your problems first.' Or, 'Your Majesty, I am very sorry about what happened earlier. None of it was true. I was making it all up.'

Her head swirled with dilemmas.

"Lief?" called a tentative voice from the entrance of the Library. The king turned to see who it was.

"Jasmine?" he asked. "What's the problem?"

"I need to talk to you, and privately," said Jasmine, coming towards him. All he could see of her face was an emotionless mask.

"Of course." He rose, and they walked back, past the doctor's practice, to a secluded place in the royal woods, where they often sat, enjoying each other's presence. But this was not the case this time.

"So, what is bothering you, Jasmine?" Lief asked, once they were in the safety of the trees. They would tell Jasmine if anyone was coming.

"Deltora is so beautiful... I am so glad we are here, taking a break from all those adventures, don't you think?" Jasmine asked, trying to turn the conversation from herself, to the country. "I love Del, with all her wonderful flora and fauna. It's a good thing we're living in Del."

"Don't try talking about other things, Jasmine. It won't work. You've tried it too many times before." Lief snapped.

Jasmine looked momentarily taken aback, and hung her head. "I am sorry, Lief. I'll get to the point. It... was the things I said to you earlier. None of it was true. I can prove it. Don't believe what I said then, please." Jasmine lied, unconvincingly. The trees waved their branches with sympathy.

"I do believe what you said in the surgery. It's not just your problem; it's mine, too. I'm the one that... asked for you to marry me. It's all rot. All we have to know about each other is that we do love each other. At least accept that, Jasmine, for me. Why do you think you are without problems? I have them, everyone has them from time to time, believe me."

"I don't, it's just that... you just said you have them too, from time to time, and I don't want to burden you with mine, too. It would be so stressful."

"But that's why I'm here for you. To help sort your problems, am I correct?" He asked, and before she could answer, hugged her gently. Jasmine's uptight body relaxed, and sank gratefully into his arms.

They sat like this for a time, just enjoying each other's presence, when the trees whispered alarmingly. 'Barda's coming... Barda's coming...'

They hurriedly drew apart, but Barda had already seen them.

"I don't mind, watching you two lovebirds in each other's arms," he said, with a slight smile tugging at his lips. "All I wanted to tell Jasmine was that the doctors attending to Kree could use a magic box on him. You will probably know about this, Lief – the Lifespan box?"

Lief nodded. "That's right, I remember. It increases the lifespan by... seven days, was it?"

Barda nodded. "Anyway, the doctors can put him in a Lifespan box for seven days. During this period of time, they asked me to tell you that if you want Kree to live, you need to find two twigs of a herb called atracaccia, from the lair of the Spirit of Life, Reality Valley."

Jasmine had heard all that was said. "So... all we need to do is to find two sticks of atracaccia, is that correct?"

Barda nodded. Lief spoke up. "I've heard about Reality Valley. It is two days and a half's walk North-East from here, am I correct?"

Barda nodded again. "So let's get going!" Jasmine said sharply. She turned and started walking towards the direction of the palace. The two left behind looked at each other with knowing expressions, then walked towards the palace, too.

They found her packing the few close things she had, including her jar of fire beads, water crystals and her home made charms against bad luck.

"We have to leave now," she said, making her way past them to the door leading out to the hallway from the bedroom.

Lief smiled, and turned to Barda. "Pack your things, change out of your noble clothes and let us go to find the atracaccia for Kree."

"Just like old times, eh?" asked Barda. Lief nodded with a smile on his face.

Barda left to pack.

"Lief, are you ready?" called Jasmine impatiently. "Kree only has seven days to live, you know."

"I'm coming," called Lief. He hurried out Deltora Palace, leaving only a note of his, Jasmine's and Barda's absence.

"Lief, I was just wondering... do you not think this is all a little suspicious?" Jasmine asked, around twenty minutes into the journey.

"Why?" Lief asked back.

Jasmine shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. It's just that a hurrok had to slash Kree, and the only herb able to heal him is in Reality Valley..."

"Now that you mention it, yes," Barda said. "I thought it seemed a little suspicious too."

Lief nodded in silence.

Barda walked ahead of the two, making sure he didn't hear anything they were saying to each other.

"Are you sure this rumour is true?" Lief asked Jasmine.

She nodded. "One boy your age said it in front of me. I still cannot believe he said that. I didn't do anything to him, did I? I told him that, and he answered, 'It's simply because you're living, swine.' Maybe I shouldn't have found you and Barda in the Forests of Silence." She said bitterly.

"Then the two of us wouldn't know each other even existed," Lief said, stopping so he could get a look at her properly. After studying her face, he kissed her brown cheek, and walked on.

Jasmine stared after him, then put a hand to the place he had kissed. A small smile made its way onto her features, and she ran to catch up with him.

_Awww... yep, random. But fluffy, no?_

_And why is this sounding so suspicious? _

_Is someone trying to wreak havoc?_

_You find out. _


	3. Chapter 2

The Beginning: Chapter 2 

They had been traveling for around a day without stopping now, and all three were fatigued.

"Do you want a rest, Jasmine?" Barda asked, worriedly. In the last few hours, she had become withdrawn and pale.

She did not look up, as she answered, "No. We must carry on," and trudged on.

Barda and Lief, who had stopped briefly, looked at each other again, and ran to catch up to her.

She did not give them a glance as she asked, "Do you need a rest?" after a few minutes had passed by uneventfully.

"It's getting dark, so we might as well," said Barda. Lief agreed, and the three started getting ready for the night, when a raven flew over Jasmine, screeching madly.

Jasmine immediately recognized it at once, and called out, "Peace, come down and give me your message!"

The bird named Peace fluttered down, obviously tired, and held out his leg for Jasmine to untie the note.

Jasmine stared at it, until she could make out the words. "Barda needs to come back to Del... because Doom needs... him."

Flushed with the effort, she smiled a shadow of her normal grin, and Lief smiled back, as she caught his eye. Barda got up and brushed off the seat of his clothes. "Well done, Jasmine. You're improving." Seeing Jasmine smile again, he carried on. "Well, looks like I'll have to get back to Del, then. Look after yourselves. Lief," he added as an afterthought, "come with me." He beckoned him, and Lief got up to walk the short distance to him. Barda bent down and whispered, "Look after Jasmine. She'll need a lot of moral support, what with Kree and all those rumours, and make sure she comes back with you, even if she fails."

Lief nodded, and hugged Barda tightly. Jasmine came over to do the same. As she pulled back, he saw her eyes were unnaturally bright. She brushed it away, and he realized it was the tears that were sparkling in the dim light.

"I'm not crying," she said, as she brushed away more tears, "some dirt got into my eye and it hurts."

Lief stood beside her awkwardly, not knowing what to do. Barda turned his back and started walking back to Del, pack dangling at his shoulder. Peace stayed with Jasmine.

After a while, Jasmine returned back to the roaring fire, and sat down in front of it. Peace flew into an open backpack and stayed there, somehow seeming to know that it was a private time for the two.

Lief sat down beside her. "Are you all right?" he asked her gently.

She nodded. It was hard for her to speak with tears so close to falling. "I'm... fine," she managed to croak out.

"No, you're not fine. I can see it in your eyes. Now, tell me what's wrong. Please?" he pleaded.

Her well of tears suddenly burst, and one moment she was telling him the beginning of all her problems, beginning with Kree, and then the next... she was asleep. Leaning against Lief.

Peace crept out of the backpack, wings raised as if to say, 'I come in peace.'

Lief sighed. "I guess all this is all a little too much for her, right now, with Kree hurt and the citizens of Del not liking her..." He shifted the arm a slight inch, and Jasmine stirred. He put a hand out to stroke her hair, and she fell still again.

In the morning, when Lief woke up, he sat up to find Jasmine, whom he had laid down beside him carefully and draped a blanket over just before he went to bed himself, was...

Gone.

Just like that.

He scrambled up to look for clues as to where she had gone. Only then, he found a note, pinned to his shirt.

_Good morning Lief, _it read, _I've gone to fetch some water, and do some thinking, too. _

_I'll be back when the first sunlight shines on your backpack. Don't move it._

_Jasmine._

He looked up from the note, to see the shafts of sunlight creeping towards his backpack. 'About twenty minutes,' he thought, as he started to get ready to travel again.

"Lief!" Jasmine called. She came scrambling over the rocks, cradling Peace in her arms.

"Lief!" she called again.

The aforementioned boy looked up to see a bloody bundle in her arms. His face grew pale: another struck down by the hurrok!

He rushed over to her. "Hurroks again?" he asked urgently. Jasmine nodded without a word. He looked down. The poor bird was barely breathing; you could just see his chest taking in painful lungfuls of air.

"He won't live." She said flatly. "I know it for a fact."

She sounded so depressed that Lief began to feel sorry for her. First the citizens, then Kree, now this? It seemed like too much for one girl to bear.

Peace gradually stopped fluttering.

At the same time, a tear fell down Jasmine's cheek.

"We've wasted enough time, Jasmine. We'll need to get going, but first, let's bury Peace, shall we?" Lief asked.

Burying Peace was a small affair; Lief dug a shallow hole, and inside it, Jasmine somberly laid Peace inside.

Lief whispered a few words before filling up the hole, then patted the dry earth down over the bird.

When it was over, Lief tried to sound brisk, like his mother was when she wanted to get something done. "Now, let's get you cleaned up, shall we?" He fished a sponge out from his backpack, acquired from the seafolk at Del, soaked it with water, and began washing away the blood and dirt on Jasmine's arms and face.

The next day was uneventful – it was a quiet affair, with Barda gone and a recent death of a treasured one – but for when Jasmine saw a hurroks' shadow against the craggy rocks of the plain.

Before they settled in for the night, Lief sat down beside Jasmine. "Jasmine? Are you feeling okay, after... Peace?"

Jasmine nodded silently. "Yes." She scattered the firebeads around the sticks, and they flared up at once, to start a merry fire. "I'm fine."

They sat, beside each other, just enjoying each other's company for a little while. Then Jasmine turned her head to look at Lief.

"Lief," she started. "Do you think I should go back to being a being of the forest until I meet someone else?"

Lief looked horrified at the very mention of it. "No! Why do you even ask such things? You know I love you!"

Jasmine replied, "I... knew that, but it's just that I'm so unpopular with the country that maybe you should take another wife, not me."

"No! I'd never do that! Don't ever think about me doing that to you. Why would I? The one I need the most is here, with me." He lay back, looking at the stars. "You know," he said again, "If you asked me to get a star for you, I would, even if it were impossible. I would do anything to do it."

Jasmine was touched. "You really would? Lief, you are so stupid at times. Would I ever ask you for a star? To have you waste your life away, trying to get me one star? I'd rather go back to live in the forest!"

Lief laughed. "That's good, because I was wondering how to get you one."

Jasmine smiled, and bent down, to kiss Lief on his cheek. Her hair fell down her shoulders to brush on his shirt. "Why not on the mouth?" he asked when she broke away, a playful smile tugging at his lips.

"I'm not exactly ready for that yet." She replied.

Lief sat back up. "Really? We are a married couple after all."

"Yes, but…" Jasmine couldn't make up an excuse for that one. "But… we're only young," she finally finished lamely.

"Hey, we're twenty -two and twenty-three respectively. I don't think that's young." He smiled again. Things were looking up.

_Chokes I cannot believe I wrote that. Honestly. Yes, it was fluffier than a woolen jumper, I know, but I couldn't help it, and I was on a huge mind block. _

_Be glad you even got that chapter as it was. _

…_Ebony_


	4. Chapter 3

**Deltora Quest 4: The Beginning – Chapter 3: Jasmine!**

"Hurry up, Lief! We need to get on our way to Reality Valley!" Jasmine called anxiously.

"All right, Jasmine. Let us find thisValley, and get back quickly." Lief muttered, and they set off, but not before pouring sand and water onto the spot the fire had burned steadily on last night, keeping the couple warm.

"We've gained a lot of ground, Jasmine. Do you want a rest?" asked Lief.

"No," answered Jasmine, and carried doggedly on. "We have to get there by noon, don't we?"

"That's true," Lief admitted. "But as I said, we've gained a lot of ground. Actually, such a lot of ground that we'll get there way before noon, even if we have a rest now," Lief reasoned.

"Okay," she said reluctantly, and they sat down to have a drink, before setting off again.

"This is very worrying. We have to go, now." Jasmine said, and for a minute, she sounded uncannily like Lief's mother.

"Okay then. Have you had enough rest?" Lief asked, watching her roll her eyes. "It looks like you have. Let's go."

"Are we there yet?" asked Jasmine. "You're the one that knows the way."

"Umm…" – Lief checked his map and the angle of the sun – "Nearly there. I figure we only have ten minutes to go before we start to see the Valley's edge."

"Okay. That's good, isn't it, since we've been traveling for only two and a quarter days?" Jasmine asked.

"That's true." They walked on in silence until the two could see the edge of the valley.

Jasmine looked ahead of her in wonder as she beheld the sight in front of her. There were simply miles and miles of beautiful flowers that swayed in the practically nonexistent breeze. Too much, for Lief's liking.

Something tugged at his mind. Something about the flowers of this strange Valley …

He gingerly picked through the flowers by staying on the path.

"Jasmine, stay on the path," he called behind him.

"Yes sire," she called teasingly back, forgetting their errand for a few seconds.

As they neared the steep edge of the valley, Lief found a safe path through the rocks.

Jasmine preferred to go another, faster way, breathing the glorious smell of the yellow flowers. There was a curious sense of foreboding in her heart, as if the trees of Del she knew so well were calling out something to her.

She ignored it uncharacteristically and carried on. 'I'll be safe enough. What can these beautiful flowers do to harm me?' She thought.

The last thing she saw was Lief's shocked eyes.

Alarm bells sounded in Lief's head as he called behind him, "Jasmine, keep following me!"

There was no answer.

"Jasmine?" he asked, looking behind him.

There was no one there.

He looked around, to witness Jasmine, plunging down…

down…

Into the soft, springy yellow flowers.

He rubbed his eyes, doubting them for a second, then put both his hands on the topaz.

The yellow flowers morphed into red.

Red? That meant death, didn't it?

He ran down the rest of the path, worrying for Jasmine's life.

_OMG, I cannot believe I wrote that._

_Yes, I know it was short, sorry about that. But I'm working on another story (out of and need to finish this quickly… so… yeah. Sorry again. :)_


	5. Chapter 4

Deltora Quest 4: The Beginning – Chapter 4: A Request 

Lief skittered and slid down the path, worrying not about his numerous scratches and bruises, but about Jasmine's life.

As he made his way down, he opened his backpack, and pulled out a towel. Soaking it in water, he put it over his nose and mouth. He, at least, was safe from the deadly flowers and their poisonous fumes. 'So that was what I forgot about the flowers of Reality Valley!' he realized, berating himself mentally. 'I should have looked after. Her mind was fogged by recent events and look what that got us into,' he thought to himself, panicking slightly.

Lief finally got down to Jasmine's level, and ran, stumbling slightly, to where she lay, with her arm at an odd angle.

"It's plain luck she only broke her arm," someone muttered seductively behind him.

"Really? And who are you to be here without an air-tank?" he asked back, to realize:

It was the Spirit of Life.

She was plainly dressed in a flowing white gown, with fair hair and almost-white skin. She padded barefoot on the flowers, and one almost immediately noted that the flowers did not bend under her weight.

One could say she was beautiful – in a twisted sense.

"So, who are you and where are you from, young man?" she asked.

"It's to be none of your business," he muttered, checking Jasmine's body for any more damage externally.

"That's fine, Lief of Del, because I already know your name. You are King of Deltora, are you not?" she asked with a malevolent gleam in her eyes that was almost transparent.

"Yes. It is an honour you know it." Changing the topic, he added, "Do you think I could heal her here?"

"No. She has gone too far already. All this time she has been breathing in the deadly fumes of these flowers," – the Spirit gestured around her with an expression of pleasure – "which makes her as good as dead. You might as well stay here with me." She added the last part with a dazzling smile.

Lief felt himself being drawn towards her, and willed, with all his mind, to break out of her grip. "No. I love Jasmine, and that's it. No others." He finally broke out, and pulled a spare towel from his backpack.

"That will not help Jasmine. She is already gone."

"What? What do you mean, Jasmine's gone? Can't you heal her in some way?" Lief asked desperately.

"I could, but why should I? She is, after all, the girl that's standing between you and me." She asked.

**Back in Deltora**

"…So, what do you want me to do?" Barda asked, when he had gotten back to the palace in Deltora.

"Huh?" Doom asked, absorbed in his thoughts. He regained his composure, and sat up. "Oh yes. I called you back because of Jasmine."

Barda's senses got him ready for a surprise, although he subconsciously knew what Doom was going to say.

"I want you to help me."

"Help you for what?"

"Help me to persuade the people of Del. Is it not clear that these people are concerned for Lief's well-being, yet hating Jasmine?" he asked.

"Oh…" he realized the direction the conversation was going.

**Valley**

"Because…" Lief found himself searching himself desperately for answers. "Because… I love her, and you wouldn't want me staying here with you if I moped around all day."

"Yes. I suppose that will be the case." Coming forward so that she was just in front of him, she sighed dramatically, she added, "Get me a sprig of the atracaccia you want so much."

Lief was impressed. "How do you know so much about me?" he asked.

The Spirit of Life held up a shimmering ball of pure light. "This is the key. Now, go and get it."

"I'll have to know where it is," countered Lief, "Or I'll die of the fumes soon."

"No, you will not die of the fumes anytime soon, for you have the Belt of Deltora. Am I mistaken?"

"No," Lief admitted.

"I'll tell you anyway. Do you see that grove of trees there?" The 'grove' could hardly be described as a grove, for there were only three trees, and young, weak ones at that.

But Lief still nodded.

"Well, you go into the midst of the three trees and you'll find them under your feet."

"All right then." He ran the way there, praying with all his heart that Jasmine would live again.

Behind him, the Spirit sighed, and touched both Jasmines' eyelids.

"What in the name of the Belt am I doing here?" she asked, groaning as she tried to sit up. She registered the unearthly being in front of her and stopped.

"I'll be willing to give back a lot in exchange of Lief," she said.

"What do you mean, a lot? And in exchange of Lief? How?" Jasmine asked fiercely.

"Oh, the life of a loved companion…" she trailed off as Lief came running with the fragrant herb in his hand.

"Jasmine!" He sighed in relief that the Spirit had kept her promise.

He rushed to give the Spirit the leaf of atracaccia, and by mistake, touched her hand.

She held onto it for three seconds, and when she let go, Lief was a transformed person.

"I'm sorry Jasmine," he said, turning to crouch down to Jasmine's level. "I've found someone that is more valuable to me than you." The Spirit of Life came forward, to rest her hand on Lief's shoulder.

He touched it lovingly.

At the same time, Jasmine yelled, "No!" with such force, that, in spite of all her self-control, the Spirit went reeling backwards.

"Jasmine! Don't you want me to lead a happy life?" demanded Lief, standing up.

"I do!" she cried desperately. "She has you under a spell!"

"What spell? I know you're just jealous, Jasmine. Can't you for once let go of the things that are out of your control? Lief is going to stay here, with me." Turning to Lief, she asked him. "Aren't you, Lief?"

By way of response, he walked back to her and kissed the nape of her neck.

"You disgust me," muttered Jasmine. Then, she found a bright idea.

"Lief, please, do one more thing for me." She asked, as a final request.

"What?" Lief asked. "I want to know before doing it."

"Please kiss me, one more time?" she requested. It had a dizzying effect on Jasmine, and she swayed slightly, in her sitting position.

He looked at the Spirit, who said, "Only on the cheek."

He came over to Jasmine, and helped her up.

He kissed her very lightly on her brown cheek, and as his lips made contact with her face, she pressed her hand, attached to the broken arm, to the Topaz, praying her plan would work.

"No!" The Spirit of Life cried helplessly, rushing over to push Jasmine away from her beloved, when Lief blocked her way, making her reel back. The spell on him had been broken by Jasmine's love and the power of the Topaz.

"Oh Lief," she cried. "You know I can't touch you with the power in you, don't you?"

"I do, and thankfully, I have no intention at all of letting go of it," replied Lief coldly.

Meanwhile, Jasmine reeled back with the force the Topaz had sent out to her. She landed on her broken arm, giving a sickening thud.

"Jasmine!" she heard, before, with all the pain and dizziness, she blacked out.

_All right, Jasmine made her broken arm worse… what's going to happen now?_


	6. Chapter 5

_This Chapter is dedicated to F.R., in memory of his death_

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**Chapter 5: The Truth**

"…Jasmine? Do you hear me?" Lief asked worriedly.

"Lief, are you sure you don't want to stay here, with me?" The Spirit of Life asked one more time, in a desperate effort. "I can give you my love, all the riches of the world and eternity to do anything and everything you like."

"What use is eternity without a loved one?" Lief asked coldly, helping Jasmine to sit up.

Turning to Jasmine and experiencing a change in mood, he thundered, "Why did you have to go and climb down the ladder of death? Didn't the flora of Del warn you? Didn't I warn you? Shouldn't you have stayed on the path? How could you go and do that to me? Do you even know what I went through, praying to the gods that you would be safe?" Finishing his barrage of questions, he noticed that Jasmine's eyes were filling over, though she had turned away so he would not see.

"Jasmine, I'm so sorry," Lief apologized at once, feeling guilty for all his questions. He felt awkward as he bent over her.

She had enough worries already without him going and adding another one to her pile.

"No, Lief. I should be sorry. I'm the one that got us into this mess, so I'm going to be the one that gets us out." She said firmly, and began to stand up. All at once, she fell back, the roots of the flowers having wound tightly around Jasmine's body.

Lief whirled around, to see the Spirit's hands, up high in the air, calling silently for the roots of the flowers to come and bind Jasmine, to join them in the soft earth.

'Come…'

'Come…'

'Come… come with us, underground. We lost you once, but we won't lose you again…' the flowers whispered inside her head. Jasmine, not being able to move, struggled helplessly, hurting her injured arm even more in the process.

With large, tearstained eyes, she asked Lief, "Will you be able to get me out of here? It's uncomfortable."

"I will, don't worry." Lief replied, more boldly than he meant it, and strode towards the Spirit.

"_Kayoyata sris chiphleth,_" Lief muttered as he approached her. A soft, white light surrounded him briefly, before disappearing into the Belt.

"Very nice choice of a pathetic charm," the Spirit said, with her arms still raised. "The protection against evil? But I'm not evil, am I? She asked.

"You never know. To others you might not be, but you are to me." Lief replied as his hands made their way to the topaz, for truth, the emerald, for honour, and the lapis, for protection. _(Wait, is the Lapis thing right? Or was it the Amethyst? Totally coddled!)_

"What would you know?" she asked bitterly. "To wait in this accursed valley for thousands of years, with no one visiting me because of the magical barrier around it, and looking hopelessly for a soul-mate. Now, I find my soul-mate, but then I find that he's got a soul-mate of his own!" she finished.

"It serves you right, Aradia of the Forests of Silence." Lief waited for her response.

It came, soon enough.

"What did you say?" glowered the Spirit. "I am the Spirit of Life, not Aradia of the pathetic Forests of Silence?

"Truth tells all," Lief said softly, and revealed his hands, resting lightly on the topaz, emerald and lapis.

Aradia's eyes widened, and she cried, "I knew this would happen from the very second I laid eyes on you!"

**Back in Del…**

"Citizens of Del!" Doom called with a magically amplified voice. Roscoe, a sorcerer who supported Jasmine, had agreed to amplify his and Barda's voice for the day and he was using this to their advantage. He, Barda and Roscoe were standing up on a rough, temporary platform raised for them by the loyal men of the marketplace.

"People of the marketplace," Barda called over the banters of the customers, and, as if by magic, all eyes turned to him. "Thank you." He turned to Doom, and he began talking.

"I need you all to go home now and get all the men and women that are not here today, for a special person we have been neglecting these past months," Doom asked. "So would you please leave your things, go home at once, and return again with all the people you think should have to hear this announcement?" There was a loud cheer from the crowd and they started dispersing at once. "Be back in" – he glanced at the sun – "one hour." There was another cheer and soon, the marketplace was nearly empty, save a few people tending to the litter on the streets.

"Now, we wait," said Roscoe grimly, and they sat down to do so.

"Hurry!" someone urged their elders into the thick crowds around the three people on the platform.

"Everyone, pay attention!" roared Roscoe over the noise of the crowd. The silence started at the front and spread out through the throng.

"Thank you," Doom said when silence reigned in the multitude of people. "Now, we need to talk. Jasmine" – he was cut off by a series of boos from a small section of the throng. Barda recognized the group as the young men and women who didn't like Jasmine for her un-urban-ness. A frown settled over his face as others quietened the people who were making the noise.

Doom tried again. "As I was saying before I was interrupted, Jasmine, our queen, has been uncomfortable lately with Del. I" – here, he was cut off again by a young man calling out.

"Why doesn't she go back to her precious forest then?" he asked, and the small group burst into raucous laughter.

"Let's go," another said, and the group pushed its way out onto the grass, but not before Roscoe muttered a spell under his breath.

"_Tros ironne dur,_" he murmured, binding them to where they stood.

Only the people's eyeballs rolled helplessly as they tried to break free, but the sorcerer was powerful and wouldn't let them go.

"I see who is making all the trouble for her now," Doom said quietly, thinking. For a few seconds, he stood like this, then came to a conclusion. "For her to be happy here, she should be comfortable with her subjects. So why don't we give her a warm welcome if" – he stopped suddenly – "no, when she and Lief come back?" He asked, raising his voice.

The people, much to Barda's amazement, cheered heartily for the queen. He motioned for Roscoe to let the trapped ones free, but hold them in an orb so they could not escape, but do anything else.

Roscoe did so, and Doom asked them the same question. One of them nodded, if somewhat reluctantly, but the others shook their heads fiercely.

"Very well then," Doom sighed. "Now that I think of it, you would have been the ones to cause all the trouble, with one or two others," he muttered, voice lowered so that they wouldn't hear, but the two on either side of him could.

Barda changed the subject. "Moving onto the celebrations for when they return…"

**In the Valley**

Meanwhile, Jasmine's eyes had widened. "Aradia of the Forests of Silence?" she whispered. "That means…" she was cut off by the roots rapidly receding into the ground. "Thank you," she told them, and carefully, got up off the ground, dusting off her clothes.

"Lief," she called. "Aradia's my…" she never got to finish her sentence, for at that moment, the Spirit turned into a girl, about the same age as her, but only a little younger.

"Jasmine?" she whispered. Then her face turned into one huge malicious grin. "I have no relatives, not even you."

"What?" Jasmine demanded. "What do you mean, you don't have any relatives? I'm still alive!"

"You may be alive, but I've changed. I am The Spirit of Life, not Aradia of the pitiful Forests of Silence." She countered.

Lief, who had been simply standing there in shock that Jasmine knew this… monstrosity personally, managed to open his mouth. "What are you talking about?" he demanded to Jasmine.

"She's my… half-sister." Jasmine muttered.

"I have no relatives, I told you!" The Spirit thundered. "I used to, but I don't now! All the relatives I have are in the soft soil, stripped down to their bones, with the roots and insects. And so will you," she whispered, advancing towards Jasmine.

"Oh, no you don't," Lief muttered, and stood in front of Jasmine.

_Er… nothing to say. Literally. _


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Revelation**

She pushed him away with her good arm and said, "Lief, she's my half-sister. I can deal with it."

"Oh, so you still think you're in charge of things? Well, look into the crystal ball, and realize you're not any more," she snapped.

Jasmine lowered her head, then raised it after a few seconds of silence, with a look of determination on her face.

" 'What have you been doing, Aradia? Dirtied yourself again?' "Jasmine quoted.

"What are you talking about?" Aradia demanded.

" 'Aradia, are you feeling better now?' "

"What are you trying to do to me?" her voice rose harshly.

" 'Aradia, listen to me. Veata's gone. She's dead! What else do you want from her?' "

"Stop killing me, Jasmine! I plead of you!" The Spirit wavered as she implored helplessly.

" 'Poor Ara. She must be feeling so low, after poor Veata died.' "

"Jasmine! Please, stop!" Aradia begged. Her whole being was surrounded by darkness, and one could only see the gold-white colour of her hair if they looked closely.

" 'Aradia! What are you doing in here?' "

Lief watched in a reverie of part horror and part awe as Aradia faded away, like a pile of ash, provoked by the breeze.

From Jasmine's eyes, there came two tears, which magically became black pearls, dropping themselves into her hands. 'Remember me, Jasmine…' they whispered, both of them filled with memories of Aradia, her half-sister.

"Was she really… your half-sister?" Lief asked softly.

Jasmine nodded. She was too numb for words or tears.

"How?" Lief asked.

"I'll tell you later." She croaked. Lief, finding he was thirsty, took out two skins of water and passed one on to Jasmine.

Changing the subject, he said, "Good idea, using the memories of her – and your – family."

They fell silent, and drank deeply, savouring the taste of the cool, clear spring water.

"Do you need a little treatment on that?" asked Lief, pointing to the arm. It was at a twisted angle, and if he looked closely, he could see a pale patch under her brown skin, showing how much the bone had been twisted.

Grimacing, Jasmine nodded. "I don't know how you will, though."

"All right." Lief wiped his brow with the sleeve of his shirt, then took out a powder from his pack. "This might hurt a bit, so be ready for it. Even after this, you'll have to wear a bandage, because it starts bleeding heavily. I don't know why though," he said, and opening the paper it was wrapped in, he poured the whole thing onto the place where he thought was the broken place.

There was a silent moment, then the powder began magically burrowing under her skin, to target themselves at the internal wound.

Jasmine bit her lip until it bled so she would not scream, and somehow, her good hand found its way to Lief's hand, holding onto it tightly.

Jasmine, dizzy with pain, dimly felt Lief's arms enclose her in a hug to try to relieve some of the pain.

Suddenly worried the powder might not be able to heal Jasmine's arm, he held her even more tightly, praying to the gods that it would.

Suddenly, Jasmine's grip on him relaxed, and she fell back, breathing heavily.

"I am never breaking anything again," she declared, and fell unconscious.

Lief silently started to tear long strips from his clothes where he could spare them to bandage Jasmine's arm.

"I'll go to get the atracaccia," Lief said after Jasmine had woken up, and walked towards the 'grove' of trees. Then, to his surprise, the flowers withered all around him. 'It's probably the power of the Belt and that the Spirit has gone', he thought, and gave an involuntary little shudder at Jasmine's link with her.

Then he realized that the flowers were forming…

Words. In some weird language.

Gnik tnerruc eht fo sdnah eht yb dleh dna dnuof era latsyrc eht fo sretrauq ruof eht fi ro, droL wodahS eht ot decifircas si neeuq tnerruc eht gnidulcni ylimaf layor eht fo rebmem a fi ylno repsorp llahs arotleD.

Lief stared at the words.

"Uhh… Jasmine," he said uncertainly, "I think we have a little problem here…" he trailed off as Jasmine got up shakily to walk over to him, and stared at the symbols.

"Okay… we have more then a little problem. This seems like a prophecy from Aradia, or something similar, so we should try to work it out." Jasmine said after a pause.

"But how?" Lief asked himself, then paused, to find something between the flowers of the first letter. He held it up to the midday sun. "Look, Jasmine," he called.

Jasmine looked, and gasped. "It's a scroll Aradia and I used in the Forests of Silence!" she exclaimed. "I recognize it by the symbol on the paper!"

Lief tried to open it, but the magic binding it was too strong for him to undo, even with the belt.

"Sorry," Jasmine apologized. "A family friend put a magic on it for it to change colour every few seconds, but it somehow went wrong, so only I can open it, now that Aradia's gone." A shadow of grieving passed over her face, and she started to act falsely cheerful. "Come on, let's see what it says!"

She took the scroll from Lief and opened it with a strange incantation in a foreign, lilting language.

The scroll opened, and showed an alphabet of some sort. "I've got it!" Jasmine exclaimed excitedly. "It is the code I used up until just before I found you."

Lief shook his head. "I might be able to translate this. It looks just like a message… I got it!" he said, finding his voice. "Look, it says… 'Deltora shall prosper… only if a member… of the royal… family… – including the… current queen – … is sacrificed …to the Shadow… Lord, or if the four… quarters of the… crystal are found… and held by… the hands… of the current… king.'' He looked up. "Scary."

"Could you write it down, Lief? So that we can remember every bit," Jasmine asked, finding a logical head.

"What have I got to write with?" Lief asked back, rummaging around in his backpack.

Jasmine immediately called to the birds in the same lilting language.

Some birds passing by got the message and flew away, some to return with flat strips of tree bark, some with charcoal, and some with tree gum, to attach the bark together.

"_Mercrea,_" Jasmine called to the birds again. They each squawked a reply in turn, and flew away together.

Lief got to work, sticking the flat pieces of bark together. Jasmine silently took a piece of charcoal, brought from areas unknown, and began to write from raw memory, sometimes pausing to think.

They worked together, in the red glow of the sunset, and when dark fell, the flowers wilted and died away, leaving only a mattress of springy grass behind.

"Have you finished?" Lief asked, peering over Jasmine's shoulder.

Jasmine placed a full stop in its place, and dusted off her hands. "Just," she proclaimed, rolling the lengthened piece of bark up inside the paper scroll, so that none but she could find it again.

"Do you have any more bark?" Jasmine asked, sitting herself down.

Lief checked. "Three big pieces, thankfully. Do you need it for a torch to find firewood? I'll go." He stood up.

"Could you leave one torch with me?" Jasmine asked. "I think I'll need the warmth."

He gave her the biggest piece, and Jasmine fished the fire beads from her backpack. "Not many left," she commented, rattling the jar. "Thankfully, just enough to get us through for three nights, including this one."

"Good. I'll get the atracaccia too, on the way." Lief dropped a fire bead onto the dry bark, and it immediately incinerated the tip of the bark, giving a good light to see by.

Jasmine lit her piece of bark, and started unpacking the necessities for a night out in the wild.

_Shortened chap, sorry. _


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 

"Have you got enough?" asked Jasmine, when Lief came back with a scant load of firewood.

"I think so," Lief replied, then asked, "Do you recognize this?" holding up a glass sphere full of what seemed to be fire.

Jasmine gasped. "I lost that a few years ago when I was getting chased by the Wennbar!" Then she fell silent, thinking, and finally decided on something.

"What were you thinking about?" Lief asked, with a confused expression on his face.

"Nothing. I'll tell you later, when I'm… ready for it." Jasmine replied shortly. She then took the fire-sphere and broke it. To Lief's amazement, a single spark jumped out of the roaring fire inside to leap onto Jasmine's outstretched hand; not even burning it, and then the glass resealed itself by magic.

"What was that?" He asked, when he got over his amazement. "Your magician friend?"

Jasmine shook her head. "Mother."

A sinking feeling took over his stomach, and he felt his face grow red. "Sorry."

Jasmine waved her hand as if trying to dispose of the thought of her mother. "No, you needn't be. You're not the one that killed her." _(**A/N: **Tell me if this is wrong, please. Thanks. Or at least assure me it's right.)_

They lit the fire and got comfortable for bed in silence.

"Good night, Jasmine," Lief said, but she was already asleep.

Jasmine sat up, rubbing her eyes, for she had seen a mirage.

…Or was it?

A huge shape towered over the valley, with Lief shadowed by it, with his sword out.

Rubbing her eyes again vigorously, Jasmine got up to run towards it, taking her fire-glass with her.

An un-armoured ghost of Gorl stood there, at the edge of the Valley, casting a huge shadow over Lief.

"Gorl again," Jasmine breathed.

"I am not Gorl. He is the one who lives. I am Greddok, second of the Three Knights," the shadow replied.

There was a sharp intake of breath from both Lief and Jasmine.

"Greddok, the slain one? But you're… dead. You couldn't possibly be standing there!" objected Jasmine. _(Typical Jasmine. Will get into a bloody situation some day.)_

"Really? Then see if this is real," said the knight, floating towards her. He then, in a split second, unsheathed a sword that had appeared from nowhere and plunged it through Jasmine's stomach.

As she toppled onto the ground face first, she shouted a string of incoherent words that seemed to do nothing.

Then, from out of nowhere, a tsunami of colourful birds came shrieking out from both forests on either side of the valleys – First Wood and Mid Wood.

They sped towards Greddock, who made no movement to ward them away. Their shrill cries filled the air as they started to attack a wisp of mist.

Greddock waved and pasted an evil grin on his face as he faded away, leaving the birds with nothing to peck at.

They milled around, confused, then slowly flew away, uncertain if their friend was safe or not.

All this Lief had watched, and now he came running towards her, calling out her name. "Jasmine! You're not dead yet. There's still some hope. Oh please, let there be hope!" he prayed to the gods, if there were any.

Jasmine struggled to right herself into a sitting position. "Lilies… Life…" her voice faded away like dust on the wind. She collapsed again. Lief dropped to his knees.

"No, Jasmine can't be… gone," Lief whispered. "She's not completely gone yet. I need to get her the nectar…" he struggled with himself – to be with Jasmine in her dying minutes, or to give her some hope of living?

He decided that Jasmine would like the latter better, and stood up again, brushing his tears away impatiently.

He started for the edge of the valley, his sadness washed away, leaving only a white-hot anger and determination to survive and save Jasmine.

"You poor boy," someone behind him whispered, and he spun around to face an old wisewoman.

Her face was wrinkled in a kind way, and had sparkling chocolate brown eyes that contrasted against her white – though slightly pockmarked – skin. She wore clothes of the olden days, before Thaegan's reign of terror. Her head was kept warm by an old grey-green shawl draped around it and her shoulders.

"Who are you?" he demanded. "I've had enough surprises to last me a lifetime," he growled.

"Oh, you'll get enough surprises alright," she chuckled, then immediately grew serious again. "Now, to the girl. What did that to her?"

"It's not a what, it's a who," he muttered, still not believing what Greddock had done to his beloved.

"So who was it?"

"Who are you?" Lief asked stubbornly.

"Look, your life lover and soul-mate has only two minutes of life left and you're asking who I am? Come. Who did this to her?" She asked again, pointing to Jasmine, lying like a limp rag doll on the ground.

Ignoring his questions for Jasmine's sake, he answered simply, "Greddock."

The woman shook her head sadly. "Thaegan and her children again," she muttered. "Look, I'll get the nectar for you, and you stay here to tend to her wound," she instructed, and disappeared.

Lief closed his mouth. It had been open to ask the woman about her identity and how she came to be here, and how she knew so much about… everything.

She was back in a painfully long sixty seconds with a glass flute of golden nectar. Then, telling Lief to look away, she turned Jasmine over and applied most of the nectar on her wound. The rest she dabbed on her lips.

"Why isn't this working?" Lief cried angrily. "Why?"

"Hush," the wisewoman soothed, stroking the king's back. "I had to gather some ingredients for the strengthening of the nectar – that means your dear friend will be immune to most common diseases for a few years, for the Lilies of Life make a girl's immune system weaker by healing them. Since their bodies aren't the same as men's, the nectar takes some of the healing from the person's body. You will need to wait for a while longer for the nectar to start working, but she will live. I am certain of it."

About a day passed before there was any sign of movement from the wounded girl.

It was a day Lief spent with dread inside him, even though he knew that Jasmine would live. He didn't bother talking to the woman about anything save Jasmine's condition. He wasn't in the mood.

At about the same time as the time Jasmine was hurt, she twitched only her smallest finger, but when Lief and the woman saw it, they were relieved to find the nectar had worked its magic yet again.

She moaned, a low, slight sound, but a moan nonetheless. "How many hours have I been asleep for?" she asked in a tiny voice, not opening her eyes.

Lief almost burst out in laughter, but managed to control it. Instead, tears began flowing from his eyes.

"Don't worry dear, cry all you want. I won't laugh at you," the woman assured him, and he gave a watery smile.

"Who was that?" she said in a slightly louder voice, opening her eyes only slightly. When she saw the woman, her eyes widened and she sat up. Or rather, she tried to sit up, but her body failed her and she fell heavily back into the grass.

Lief rushed to prop her up against his torso. Jasmine smiled, and whispered a 'thank you'.

Then, directing her attention to the woman, she breathed, "Tamm…" and blacked out.

_What do you think? Should Jasmine die or should something be done to prevent this from happening?_

_Muhahaha… I love Jasmine getting killed and brought back to life… I'm a sadist… or am I?_

_You decide, I haven't got the time for it. _


	9. Chapter 8

_Really sorry bout not updating but I had so much studying to do over the hols that I couldn't get on. I tried, all right?_

_Next news item: I think you guys are a little unclear on the TammThaegan thing, so here's the deal:_

_Tamm was Thaegan's mother. Thaegan used dark magic, while Tamm used her powers for healing and that kind of jazz. So Tamm put a spell around their cottage to stop he escaping. But Thaegan's magic was so strong she broke out of the cottages to escape to some mountain or another. There her power grew and all that jazz until she returned in power to terrorize those around her, until Kree killed her. Or something like that. _

_If you think this is wrong or have any comments, I'm here. Just 'push the button'… as the Chemical Brothers say… and review. _

_Thank you. _

Deltora Quest 4.1: The Beginning – Chapter 8: The Return Journey 

"Don't worry, she's just a little tired at the moment, after the long healing. But I wonder how she knows my name…" Tamm, Thaegan's mother, rubbed her cheek thoughtfully. "Well, she knows my name, so now you know too. My name is Tamm, and I'm the mother…"

"…Of Thaegan, the black sorceress," Lief finished.

"So… who are you?" Tamm asked.

"My name if Lief. I am the King of Del, and this young lady here…"

"…Is Jasmine, queen of Del," Tamm finished. "The Chosen One," she breathed. "I have just saved the life of the Chosen One."

"The Chosen One? What Chosen One?" Lief asked, before he could stop himself.

"Do you know of the legend of the Little Worm?" Tamm asked back.

"The little worm that grew into the Glus?" Lief answered.

"Yes."

"So… what about the girl?"

"The girl is she. She is fated to do the same again, this time bringing back to life a raven by the name of Kree. Only one thing: the bird shall live again after dying, and the girl will not, unless someone is there to stop her or go in her place," Tamm explained.

Lief's mind whirled with thoughts. To lose Jasmine again, after two near misses in the same day?

Jasmine rubbed her bleary eyes and sat up, momentarily blinded by the sunlight. "Lief?" she asked, looking around.

"I'm here," came the answer, followed by a huge yawn.

Jasmine smiled. "You were sleeping."

"As you were."

"Where is Tamm?"

"She left to find something."

"Is there something wrong?" Jasmine looked worried now, and scrambled over to Lief's side.

"No, nothing's wrong," he replied, not being able to look at her in the eye.

"Are you sure? You know you can tell me anything."

"Don't worry, Jasmine. I'm fine." He smiled, and kissed her forehead.

Jasmine smiled back, though she knew something was still wrong.

"You know I am simply worried about you, Lief. Remember that." She cradled her chin on her knees, rocking back and forth softly.

"Of course I do." He placed an arm around the girl's shoulders and stroked her hair.

"Lief, here." Tamm suddenly appeared in front of him, holding out a brown leather package.

Lief accepted it without a word and stuffed it in his bag one-handedly. Nodding to the old woman, he made a motion with his hand, and she disappeared, chanting blessings for the young couple.

"Let me guess, another thing I shouldn't know about?" Jasmine asked jokingly.

"Well… yes. I would appreciate it if you did not open it."

"Of course." She closed her eyes and leant against Lief, then snapped them open again. "Are you waiting for something to happen?"

"The Topaz Dragon says he will come to take us back to Del."

Jasmine's mouth fell open. "Oh."

Lief smiled, but it quickly turned into a stare as he saw the aforementioned dragon swoop down, beating them to the ground with the sheer force of his wingbeats _(A/N: Is this a proper word? Microsoft Word says it isn't…)._

"Speak of the devil," Jasmine grinned, and stood up.

'You are here, I see.' The dragon Fidelis boomed within Lief's mind.

"Dragon of the Topaz?" asked Jasmine, standing up.

The dragon swung its head her way, and acknowledged her presence with a slight dip of the head. "I would find my belongings and go if I were you. There is the presence of evil here," she said pertly.

"Ready?" Jasmine called behind her shoulder. Lief nodded and they headed towards the dragon, who had been waiting patiently for the two to get organized.

"Are you two supplied?" asked the dragon, once they were of earshot.

"If we weren't, we would still be back there, packing," Jasmine replied, and the dragon growled.

"I won't have impudence on my back," she snarled. Lief and Jasmine almost cowered under its ferocity. The key word being almost.

"My apologies," said Jasmine humbly, and the dragon calmed down at once, seeming to enjoy the attention.

"May we climb onto your back now?" asked Lief.

The dragon smiled dangerously. "Who said I was going to take you on my back?" and with that, he encased both of them in the sturdy claws of his foot, and left earth.

There was no time to be surprised, for one moment Jasmine and Lief were safely on the ground, and then they were in the air. Flying.

Jasmine climbed over the claws that held them and stood firmly on one claw, holding tightly onto the dragon's leg as she did, so as not to fall back to earth.

She yelled over the rushing wind and Lief, feeling slightly nauseous, gazed at her with admiration in his eyes.

Jasmine noticed this and climbed back into the safety of the claws, feeling slightly foolish.

"How do you do that?" asked Lief with approval.

"I've done it before, remember? I suppose I've a feel for it," Jasmine muttered, her cheeks going red.

"Do you think I could do it as well?" he asked, before he could stop himself.

"It would be dangerous, King of Del," Jasmine replied, reminding him of his duties. "If you die of free will, you have to die with an heir." The realization hit her: She would have to…

She grew pink. "Whoops. Sorry about that."

Lief realized the meaning of it and went red. "Let's not talk about that anymore," he said, and changed the subject. "Let's see the atracaccia."

Jasmine dug the two sprays out from a safe compartment in her backpack and showed them to Lief, inspecting one of them closely.

"It looks just like… a dragon claw," Jasmine concluded.

Lief peered at it closely too. "Yes, it does," he finished after a while. "Maybe atracaccia is named after a dragon."

Thinking hard, Jasmine came to a conclusion. "I think I know about a dragon with the name Atracia. She was the sole survivor of a rare species of dragon."

Light dawned in Lief's eyes. "Yes, I think I know about that legend too. The dragon species had a golden claw on its right foot?"

Jasmine nodded. "That was the one."

Changing the subject yet again, she asked, "How much more to go?"

Lief calculated silently, his lips moving as he thought. "Under six hours."

Jasmine sighed. "Great."

Thinking of something else, Lief asked, "Can you tell me how you and Aradia became half-sisters?"

Jasmine looked ruefully at Lief, and he patted the space beside him. She settled down on the hard claws of the dragon beside him, and he, on impulse, put an arm around her shoulders.

"We – Aradia and I – share the same mother. She was… attacked by a pair of drunkards when I was one and… things tangled up from there, I guess." Jasmine sighed. "There's nothing much to tell, except that when mother was taken away, Aradia was so grief-stricken about it that she disappeared just like that one day. She must have been captured by Grey Guards or something along the road to wherever she was going, and the Shadow Lord decided to give her a chance." She stopped abruptly. "That's about it, I suppose."

They fell into an uncomfortable yet companionable silence, and before both of them knew it, Lief and Jasmine were both asleep, curled up beside each other, encased in the dragon's claws.

When Jasmine woke up, she was horrified to feel a wet patch on her arm, then relaxed, for it was only her broken arm. Then she stiffened again, thinking of the prospect of changing the bandage.

Beside her, Lief stirred slightly, and opened his eyes. "What's up?" he asked, noticing her worried and disgusted expression right away.

"Oh." He had noticed. "Do you want to change that?" he gestured at it.

Jasmine reddened slightly. "I can change a simple bandage myself, but what for the blood?"

Lief thought about it. "We could wring it out of the cloth –" Jasmine wrinkled her nose with a small grimace "- or we could leave it like that until we get to Del where you'll be able to change it for more… durable ones."

"I feel like changing this now but at the prospect of cleaner bandages, I will leave it be for the last… two hours?" Jasmine asked.

Lief nodded. "So we have been sleeping for around three hours." Changing the subject, he asked, "Have you been feeling well lately?"

"Why do you ask? You are always around me," she retorted.

"No, I mean… inside. Your heart? Your head? Are you getting any… strange feelings?

Jasmine stared at him with a strange expression on her face. "No."

"Really?"

There was a silence. "Yes."

"Foreboding and chilling?"

"Exactly."

"Do you have any idea –" he stopped suddenly, knowing exactly what was going to happen.

_Muhahaha… I'm not in the mood to do a proper one. _


	10. Chapter 9

MerewenIce: Sighs sorry I couldn't update for so long. I was... having trouble with my life, to put it shortly. Old memories, schoolwork... etc. Yeah. I'll just think that so that I can get away from it all... sorry again, I'll let you read on for the real story.   
Don't let my life disturb you.   
BabylonianPrincess: Thanks. At least someone likes my writing. 

And here I am, listening to Simple Plan's Untitled. It describes me so well. The whole bloody CD does, for Pete's sake!

Sorry, I'll let you read on to the more important piece of writing. Forgive me if it's not up to standard; I tried. Truly.

Chapter 9: The Trouble Begins 

"Any idea what?" Jasmine retorted, looking puzzled.

"Um... I'll tell you later," he gabbled, eyes suddenly losing their sparkle; mouth dry.

Would the prophecy come true, or was it merely a fluke?

When the dragon Fidelis landed on the outskirts of Del and the two companions leapt off, one jarring his bones and the other landing without a scratch on herself, a swarm of people ran up to them, all offering something for their comfort.

Jasmine accepted their water-flasks gratefully, gulping down their contents with a vigour Lief was sure he had never seen before. The king, on the other hand... he looked worn down, accepting a chunk of food from a helping hand.

Doom, Barda and Roscoe arrived soon after, encased in a ball of the sorcerer's white power. Barda rushed forward as soon as the flame dissolved to grab the girl in a bear hug.

"I had... doubts," he admitted into her ear, holding her tightly. "I was... worried you and your sweetheart wouldn't face up to it."

Jasmine felt her eyes tear up and started sobbing quietly into his shirt. "Same," she admitted, partly to herself and partly to him. "I... thought I wouldn't make it."

Lief popped up behind Jasmine and mouthed something urgent to the man who acted as their alleged brother. It looked something like 'Kree?', but Barda wasn't sure.

'Talk to you later,' he mouthed back, and released the now composed Jasmine.

"Thanks," she whispered, and turned to Lief. "What are we doing, lazing about here? I need to see Kree!"

And with that, she started off at a sprint, but Lief grabbed her wrist before she could make a run for it.

"No, Jasmine!" Then, seeing the strange looks the people around them were giving him, he lowered his voice. "You may all go. Thank you for your welcome, but you have done enough here," he told the onlookers. They obeyed, leaving the food and water at their feet.

Lief started again. "No – I mean, Jasmine, look at me. I command you to." His voice was calm and composed, but inside he was yelling at himself for letting it happen. He faltered for a second, unsure of how to tell her.

"Um..." was all he managed.

"Come on, the sun's about to go down," she tugged impatiently at his hand, pulling him along. "Kree –"

"Stop, Jasmine!" He finally yelled. "Don't you see I'm trying to help you? Please, listen to me!"

Jasmine froze, turning slowly. "Is there something... you need to tell me of?"

Lief felt himself become numb. He lowered his head, feeling worry course through his system.

"Yes?" prompted Jasmine, holding him awkwardly by his shoulders, noticing the rigidity of his body and the way his hand slipped off her wrist.

"Kree..." he couldn't bring himself to say the dreaded word.

Jasmine's grip stiffened.

They stood in silence like that for a while; like two stone statues, barely even breathing.

Barda, Roscoe and Doom watched from behind them, not saying a word.

They preferred Lief break the news to his sweetheart.

"Tell me," she finally whispered, "How many days has it been... since the attack? Including today?"

Lief felt a subtle change in Jasmine's tone.

Was it fear – anxiety?

"Eight," he finally whispered into her ear. "You thought it was seven, but you... you had slipped into the other realm for a day or so. I'm sorry."

The woman's eyes opened into the size of saucers. "No…" she whimpered, eyes empty and devoid of life. She clutched at his shoulders, face and hands white. "Please tell me that was a joke," she pleaded, staring at him with overflowing eyes. "Please, Lief!" She yelled into his face, shaking him. "Please tell me this is a dream... please… I can't survive without Kree… I can't count the many times he saved us… and now…" she stifled a sob as she buried her quivering form in his shirt. "And now… we repay him… with failing a simple task. All we had to do… was to find to sticks of a common herb…" she trailed away, simply crying into his now soaked shirt.

"Jasmine, I'm sorry, I'll never be able to feel how you feel at this moment; all I can say is sorry. Sorry… to you, to Kree… for not looking after both of you. I should have taken care of him while I had the chance. And you… I'm just thankful it wasn't you that the hurrok slashed. I'm truly thankful to the gods."

Jasmine froze. "This wasn't a dream," she mumbled into his shirt. "This isn't a dream. Kree's really gone, and… for all that I did, I couldn't save him… I've failed myself; I've failed him."

Lief, barely hiding tears himself, gestured to the three men standing nearby.

"We'll be going back soon," he mouthed to them, barely keeping the tears from showing.

They lowered their heads, gesturing to the gods for a blessing upon the couple. They soon disappeared in a pearly blue ball of magic, courtesy of the sorcerer.

"Here, you can come home with this," Roscoe's voice whispered in his ear, followed by a heavy thunk in his trouser pocket.

Lief almost smiled through his tears, clutching at Jasmine harder. Good old Roscoe.

"Jasmine –" he started, but was stopped by a tight fist clutching at his shoulder.

"Please, don't," she sobbed, tears falling freely from her bloodshot eyes. "Please Lief, don't."

He drew away from her, studying her closely. There was something wrong about her, the way she held him…

'Of course,' he thought, remembering her broken arm. 'How could I have been so stupid?'

But there was something else niggling at him…

Had he fallen asleep when Jasmine was recovering?

He couldn't remember.

But what he did remember was falling asleep with her, encased in Fidelis' claws…

Was she?

He suddenly noticed a black patch on her clothes; was it because she was an Ol, or was it simply a coincidence?

He slowly backed away from her, unsheathing his sword. 'Handy sword,' he realized, drawing it out inch by inch.

"Show yourself, Ol," her growled at her, backing away.

Jasmine - or was it an Ol? – Looked up, looking confused and hurt. "What do you mean, Lief? I am Jasmine, and none else."

He felt the tension rise in the air, stiffening his muscles for the change that would happen right… about… now.

But nothing happened. Jasmine stood there, weeping silently, with the pack at her feet. Both packs.

Lief froze. "Jasmine?" he asked, advancing towards her. He wasn't sure what she was… an Ol… or simply the woman he loved?

Jasmine wiped away a stray tear, looking up at him. "Why are you acting so… strange, Lief? Are you tense about something?"

"I'm tense about you," he muttered under his breath, still not sure of whether or not it was Jasmine or not.

"Pardon?"

"Don't worry."

There was a pause. "Is there anything I can comfort you with?"

"I'd like to know the truth about… how you met Kree."

There was a shocked intake of breath. "Lief –"

"Will you?"

There was another silence. "I'm afraid I can't. I'm sorry, Lief. I'm just too… too angered at myself to think about other things at the moment. I'm sorry again."

Lief smiled. It was she. An Ol would definitely dip into Jasmine's memories and bring back painful recollections, but Jasmine herself… she just loved Kree too much not to blame herself for his… passing.

"I'm sorry Jasmine, I thought you were an Ol," he apologized, sheathing his sword again and striding towards the woman.

She froze. "Oh."

"I know you're not now, after that most recent question."

"That's good." She gave a trace of a smile, then stopped. "Wait…"

"Today's the Fourth Dragon Night!" they both exclaimed at the same time.

"Will you be going?" Jasmine asked, hugging Lief tightly.

"I'll go if you do," he bantered, and hugged her back, stroking her tangled onyx hair.

"I will," she whispered into his shoulder, crying again.

"You just can't get rid of him," he sighed, drawing her closer.

"I've known him ever since he hatched out of his egg…" she trailed off as a fresh wave of tears poured out of her eyes.

"I'm sorry to bring you all these memories back," he murmured into her ear, 'and it's time to go home."

"Let's," she agreed, and Lief took the amulet that Roscoe had given him out.

In a flash they were gone with their packs.

But little did they know; there was an unearthly being watching them from the sky…

Palace In Del 

Jasmine watched silently as the Fourth Dragon Night was held in honour of the three heroes who saved Deltora.

All the tribes represented by the seven gems were there, each of them wearing the colour of their gems.

So were the dragons, though Forta of the diamond clan was quite exhausted from a long flight.

Forta of the Diamond.

Honora of the Emerald.

Fortuna of the Lapis Lazuli.

Fidelis of the Topaz.

Hopian of the Opal.

Joyeu of the Ruby.

Veritas of the Amethyst.

All of the seven were there, though some of them had complained a couple of times upon arrival.

Jasmine smiled, nodded and patted the heads of those who acted out the parts of the ceremony, looking happy and comforted by the people surrounding her.

Which was what those who did not know her thought.

Those who did know her became worried about her. It was not usual of her to laugh and smile so easily, and they knew she was going through ha hard time.

What was to become of her?

_Really random chapter I know, so don't blame me for it. I'm supposed to be studying, and if my mum comes home when I'm uploading this… simply put: don't come to my funeral. _


	11. Chapter 10

**BIG ANNOUNCEMENT TO MAKE: IF ANYBODY WANTS TO READ A STORY OUT OF THAT JUST MIGHT GET PUBLSHED, please keep checking back to my webpage (go to my bio, then click on homepage. You'll come to a matmice Shadowcatwhisperer homepage) and click on the link at the bottom to visit. It's going to be based on real life experiences – put into an animals' PoV. It'll be posted in chapters, like this one, though they might be a little shorter. If you enjoyed this fanfic, you'll love my original story, though you might not, if you don't like animals or adventure. You can leave a review on whether or not you liked it. Thanks!**

I got a lot of reviews from one person (no names mentioned, cough-BabylonianPrincess-cough) so I'll put the responses to ALL of them down here:

**BabylonianPrincess **Thanks for reviewing – what? Eight times. Or something like that, anyway. It's great to see someone actually liking my stories. :) SotS gets really annoying, hey? She should have put the Dragon Night bit in a separate story… but who cares. Oh well. You've got only fanfiction now. I hope one of them is mine. :) Hmm… guess what. I'm a sadist and an insomniac and a geek and a nerd and a girl with major problems. Yeah, all of them. The spirit's annoying, I know. But there's something else that Aradia inside the spirit wanted for Jasmine and Lief… I'm not going to tell you what. Thanks so much for the positive comments and you don't have to review every chapter. I don't mind. :) No funeral was needed, coz I'm here and alive! I'll give you a marshmallow: (()

**PJ Blindclown: **Hey, you read the newest chapter and reviewed. That's what matters. :) Oh really? Why didn't I realize that? ;… I have no idea. You decide for me… thanks! I'm giving out marshmallows! Here's one for you! (()

Thanks also to **Starlit Moonshadow. **I love your name! (() Anyway… major fluff this chap. I hope. **Note: I don't know if any information in this is true, so bear with me if the information about Kree and Filli is wrong. **

**Another note: Whoever thought Peace's death was sad and touching… well, let's just say I got carried away. ;;;**

**And one last note: Thanks a lot to PJBlindclown for letting me bounce my ideas on her, and for giving me the idea for this whole chapter. So – in the end – it was dedicated to her. And may her pet... you know what I'm going to say. This chapter is for you, for all the cool ideas and reviews you've given me. Don't lost hope – God will understand!**

**Chapter 10: Relationship Renewed**

Jasmine crept down the stairs, tiny lamp in hand and dagger at her side. She was fully clothed and ready for anything. Or so she thought.

"Now, where was the surgery?" Jasmine murmured in a near-whisper to herself, bare feet treading lightly on the tiled floor of the hallway leading to her room.

But she wasn't going that way. No, she was looking for a last sight of Kree.

But once she… descended… to the underworld, she would see Kree again. Yes, her faithful pet and friend even before Filli, Lief, Barda… before all of them. Even before Aradia. She had known Kree since she was eleven months old. He had been a tame bird then, bought from the healer just down the road.

But that was when they were living in the townside. When they had to escape and did so to First Wood in the Forests Of Silence, the blackbird had quickly become… wild. Untamed. Kree had evolved from the meek, tame household bird that he was trained to be and transformed into the perfect guide: Willing, bright, loyal and trustworthy, but with sharp senses that a human lookout could never have.

And that was how the two of them had found Filli. Alone and almost frozen solid, Kree had picked him out from the branches of a deciduous tree in Mid Wood while the two were exploring the regions. Jasmine had brought him back and nursed him back to life.

But now Kree was gone, and he would never save her life again. Or anyone else's, for that matter. It was up to her to save him this time, but… she had failed. Miserably. And she had no excuse.

Lost in her depressing thoughts, she didn't notice a tiny light glowing from behind a closed door: a tiny study Lief liked to go to when he couldn't sleep. _(A/N: See where this is going?)_

She trudged on ahead, not noticing anything but her tiny path.

Lief was just standing up. He gave a luxurious stretch as he picked up his lamp, covering a yawning mouth with the other.

He suddenly gave a frown, lines creasing his forehead. _What's that? _He wondered, noticing a silhouette of some kind outlined against the stone floor, filtering itself underneath the closed door. He quickly extinguished his light, wincing as the flame died with a reluctant hiss.

Was that Jasmine's shadow, or the shadow of an unwanted intruder?

He waited for the light to pass by, then slowly opened the door. It slid open without a sound – thanks to the servants of the palace – with barely a touch of the doorknob. Peering out, he saw who it was.

_What is she doing out there in the dark? _He thought, alarm passing through his system. _What if she – Oh no. _He opened the old, polished oak door the whole way and leapt outside, dagger out and ready. _If it's not Jasmine…_

Jasmine crept down the hallway, not enveloped in her thoughts. _I hope this is the right way to go, _she thought worriedly, taking a right turn. She had been good at directions, but in the middle of the night and taking a few glasses of strong wine…

Finally she arrived at her destination. Opening the door with barely a touch of the hand, she slipped in discreetly. Finding there was no one around, she padded to the Lifespan box and stared in.

Her doubts were erased as she stared into the small compartment, shimmering with powerful spells to keep life inside. Kree lay motionless in the tiny space provided for him, wing clumsily bandaged to keep more blood in.

But it was too late now. She had no choice. He had been her closest friend, and now he was gone. Just like that. So she would go to him. There was no time for life-bringing spells; it was too late for that, and Ranesh would still be up anyway. The two lovers and librarians worked in shifts throughout the day and night.

That brought her to Lief. Would he even miss her? Maybe her mind was clouded from so much sorrow. She really needed a rest…

Lief followed the would-be intruder up the steps, into… why would he – or she – go into the infirmary? Maybe there was a herb of some sort in there that he – or she – wanted. Maybe.

He blinked as the intruder disappeared inside, and followed suit, frowning. Why not the Royal Jewel Room? Why not the Library? There were plenty of other rooms that held precious artifacts, while the infirmary held nothing but medicines and healing spells. An injury was rare; many were protected by charms and spells of health. Only the Toran Plague was able to break through the tightly woven web of fitness in the last decade, and with the Shadow Lord temporarily quelled, there was almost no need for –

Kree! Lief suddenly understood. It _was_ Jasmine. No other could possibly be that agile and lithe as well as knowing the palace inside out. The two had been exploring many, many times before. Tucked away in the shadows, he watched her place the lantern on the small table beside the Lifespan box, and take away the lid. She stared down, watching Kree, beautiful eyes emotionless. Seemingly emotionless.

As Jasmine slipped a rough piece of material underneath the bird and scooped it up into her arms, she heard a downpour start outside. Shuddering at the cold that suddenly swept through her system, she tucked Kree inside her brown leather jacket and padded outside, heading towards the cliffs at towards the back of the palace. Lief followed silently, making less noise than a panther. He wanted to see where this went before barging in.

He could see the tears dripping down her cheeks now. He could see the suffering she felt inside now. He could see clearly the emotions she had hid inside so efficiently. He could see her pain. He could see her for real now. He could see her inner emotions displayed out before him now.

And he didn't like it. Where was the strong, stubborn Jasmine he once knew? Where had the beautiful, nimble girl of eighteen? Here, before him, there was only a shell of the girl he used to know and love.

But he still loved her now. He did. And he would help her through the time of misery that she felt.

But he wouldn't be able to help her if he didn't know what she was going through at the moment.

From the darkness of the doorway, he watched her slip the hatch open and leap out onto the rooftop of the palace, balancing under the downpour precariously. She was immediately soaked, but didn't stop. She kept going doggedly, shielding herself against the sweeping, moaning winds.

Lief didn't go out there. Instead he took to the many linked attics, listening for her near silent footsteps. He sensed her, in a way. Through their unlinked link.

He followed her to the southern end of the palace, where he felt her jump down the uneven steps of around ten floors, almost slipping in the rain.

He ran down the many flights of stairs, stopping only to grab an amethyst pendant from a hidden cache. He had a feeling he would need it.

But the slight hindrance only minimized his lead by a second. He was out before her, slipping into a clump of bushes, immediately soaking himself in the furious rain. He watched her run down the slippery trail, footing light and sure on the slightly moss-covered cobblestones. He watched her, then followed, making sure to stay invisible until the time he would reveal himself.

He wondered where exactly she was going. He followed her, tucking the charm into his pocket.

She headed down a narrow, muddy path, only slipping once. She put out a hand to balance herself, stabilizing herself precariously. He almost reached out to help her, then realized his predicament. If he showed himself now, he would never get to the bottom of this.

Now he knew where she was going. She was heading down to the cliffs at the southern edge of Deltora – a highly dangerous point, especially in rotten weather. And the weather was way past rotten now. Most people only went there to get themselves killed, or kill another.

Now he knew her ambitions. She was going to jump! Jump, into the raging seas. Jump, only to impale herself on the jagged, unforgiving rocks. Those rocks had killed many an innocent passer-by, and they were forever and always stained with dry, crusty blood.

And she would join Kree in the underworld.

He wouldn't let that happen.

Jasmine skittered down the last of the muddy path, mentally begging forgiveness from all those who had known and loved her. She knew it was wrong, but Kree had been her first ever friend. Not even Aradia, Lief or Barda could fill that place in her heart. Now her lifelong friend was gone, and she was half-crazed by the aftershock.

She wouldn't be able to survive without him.

If he couldn't be raised from the dead, she would go to him.

Reaching the warning rope, she stopped and looked around, scanning her darkened surroundings with a practiced eye. Had anyone followed her?

Suddenly, something leapt out at her from the darkness, immediately unarming her so that all her weapons were thrown, discarded, onto the muddy ground. Jasmine landed on the sodden grass with a muffled thump, the attacker on top of her. She struggled to get away, pushing at the attacker, not even noticing who he was. Kree was dropped in the process, he too landing in the mud with a disgraceful plop.

Lief, meanwhile, was trying to soothe her. "Jasmine, it's me, don't worry. Jasmine –" he loosened his grip around her shoulders, shaking her gently. "Jasmine, it's Lief. Look at me." When she froze, staring up at him with a piteous expression on her features, he got up, pulling her up with him. "Jasmine, don't. Please. You – I need you here. I… I'd die if you walked away right now. I'd never be able to live with myself. And… and what of the kingdom? It wouldn't have a king again. Please Jasmine…" he stopped, at a loss for words. There she was, eyes streaming with tears, staring at him.

"I can't, Lief. He… he was my first ever friend. He… he's saved my life countless times, and I was only able to thank him with extra morsels of food and love. That's all I could do. And… and when I received a chance to redeem myself, pay back my debts… I failed him, Lief. I failed him." Her voice shook with untold emotions, but she carried on. She would have to explain everything to him. He had a right to know. "He… no one can replace him, Lief. Not even you. You… you have a separate place in here –" she placed both hands on her heart " – but you'll never be able to replace him. No one will." She knelt, picking him up and making sure there was no more damage done to him.

"But he'll live on forever in your heart. You have him in there –" he placed his hands on top of her heart "- and you'll never lose him."

Jasmine looked up at him, eyes brimming with unshed tears. "Never, ever?" she asked like a little child.

"Never, never ever," he reassured her, caressing her wet onyx hair. "You'll always be with him, and he'll always be with you. I'll always be with you."

"I know now." Something dripped down Jasmine's cheeks; was it merely the rain? "I know."

Lief stood there with Jasmine in his arms, cradling her gently. "You do."

When he moved, it was only to talk to her. "How about we bury him here, where we're standing? He'll be with us in body and soul." When Jasmine gave a tiny nod, he unwrapped himself from his embrace and knelt down, his love following. He dug a little hole in the mud, fingers squelching in the slop, and stood back, allowing Jasmine to place the frail body inside. Remembering the charm he had brought out with him, he took it out, as well as the one he wore around his neck: moonstone.

"Amethyst for healing, and moonstone for sleep," Jasmine whispered, placing the two side by side around Kree's body.

"Say good bye

"And move on,

"It doesn't matter

"If he's gone.

"He'll always live

"In your heart –

"Forevermore," he whispered to her, patting the earth around him. It seemed like he was merely sleeping, hidden away under the mud.

"The soul will live on

"When the body falls

"No wandering

"Within the halls

"Of pain and sorrow –

"Nevermore," Jasmine murmured back, biting back a sob. Childhood rhymes brought back painful memories.

Dedicated to PJBlindclown


	12. Chapter 11

LAST CHAPTER, GUYS! I'VE FINALLY FINISHED THIS FIC!   
Thanks guys for the positive reviews, and I think this is my fastest update in history! Not that my history is very long – I've only posted thirty or so chapters so far, in both my fics. :) Thanks again to PJBlindclown for ideas and inspiration! Chapter 11: Hiding The Facts, Revealing The Secrets 

Jasmine stirred in bed. "What time is it?" she asked groggily, wriggling out of Lief's hold.

"I have no idea," was the gentle reply.

"Hey –" Jasmine began, but was silenced by a finger at her lips. "What –"

"Shh…" Lief murmured, pointing towards the doorway. "Somebody's eavesdropping."

"But –"

In the end Lief kissed her. When he broke away, Jasmine had a happy smile on her face, and had temporarily forgotten her sorrows of the night. Last night. The Fourth dragon night had come and gone, and the events that had happened afterwards… they would be remembered, but not spoken of. They knew Kree was with them always.

Jasmine went back to sleep, and Lief went back to searching. Searching for any clues as to the crystal's locations. Who were their guardians? What did they mean? What was its name? Who was its owner? Surely such a powerful crystal would have a name and an owner... or guardian...

In the end, he padded down to the library. Marilen was there, inspecting an old volume with the title, '_Famous Beasts Of Burden From The Four Corners Of Deltora'._

The sun shone through the stained glass windows, bathing the sleeping figure in a medley of different colours. Jasmine sat up, rubbing her eyes. She hurriedly took a cold bath, pouring the chilly water over herself. Lief was nowhere to be seen – perhaps he had gone down to the library?

When the queen burst in, hair still wet from her bath, Lief looked up and smiled tiredly. "You were up all night?" she asked worriedly.

Lief nodded. "It was all I could do to help."

A shadow passed over Jasmine's face. "It will help the kingdom, yes," she muttered distractedly. "Yes."

"What is on your mind?"

Jasmine paused. "Nothing."

"But there is a sign on your face –"

"I think Aradia was trying to –"

"Lief! Jasmine! I have bad news and good news," Barda announced as he strode over to them. The couple had recounted their adventures last night under the light of the calming full moon, just after the main festival. Lief had told him of Peace, Aradia, Tamm, Jasmine's near deaths, the crystal... everything they knew about the crystal.

"Time will tell," Jasmine murmured to her lover, then turned to face her old comrade. "Yes?"

"The good thing is that Ranesh is now awake and will willingly help us with the crystal."

"And the bad news?" The voice was Lief's.

Barda paused. "There is a plot to kill Twig of Del."

Lief froze. "No."

"Yes." His voice was resigned, a signal of contempt. "They will steal the belt and sell the jewels."

"No, that can't be!" Jasmine cried. "We will stop them. We've faced many, many other dangers before, yes? This is not a danger. It is simply a hindrance, Lief, Barda. We will be able to stop them."

"That may not be so, Jasmine. Lief knows also that there are many conspirators in the city, and half of them see him every day. They will calculate his every move. You must not go, Jasmine." Barda placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "We're – the palace guards and I – are doing everything we can to keep Lief alive and well."

"But what if the guards are corrupt?" Jasmine objected, slamming a clenched fist down on the table, making both of them jump. "What if –"

"They swore allegiance to me, and there's also the added security of the spells in the protection-charms."

"Relax, Jasmine," Lief soothed, placing a hand on her fist. It slowly opened, revealing a nail-marked palm. "They won't be getting us anytime soon. We're going exploring, remember? Just like old times!"

Jasmine closed her eyes, silently counting to ten inside herself. "Do you know where this place is?"

Lief nodded. "Marilen helped me in the night. We found a short entry in the Deltora Annals. I wrote it out, and here it is" – he produced a scrap of paper from his pocket.

"**The Legend Of The Starseeker: An Enigma Within An Enigma**

"_For many years, Tamm tried to stop Thaegan from breaking through her bonds on the cottage they lived in. When it became too much for her to keep up, she created a crystal ball of all the elements – wind, fire, water and earth – and placed it within her daughter to keep her imprisoned inside her own mind. In that period of the sorceress's life, many thought she had gone crazy – Tamm had not told anyone of the crystal. _

"_But as the story unfolds, Thaegan slowly gained control over the crystal, spreading cracks about its surface. Her mother realized this and got rid of the ball, transforming it into a seer's crystal. This became known as the lover's crystal: Starseeker, the villagers called it. Thaegan called the powerful forces of the Shadow Lord and proceeded to break out of her so-called prison, escaping into the wild. Thus the Starseeker crystal was born. _

"_But the years went by, and the cracks in its smooth surface spread, soon covering the whole ball with its whisperings of power. Thaegan had cursed it, with a powerful spell she had learnt from the very heart of the mountain. _

"_One fateful night, the sorceress stole into her mother's house, now very powerful and strong. She stole the crystal, shattering it with a mere touch of her spelled finger. It broke apart – into four quarters – and flew across the kingdom of Deltora, burying themselves in the wildest of places. _

"_The four quarters were named by the twelve children of Thaegan, and now bear cursed names: Krashun, Strath, Lepse and Normed – Plague, Disease, Malady, Pestilence. These cursed shards brought about an age of illnesses, starting from the common cold to Tuberculosis and Smallpox – the Carken Ages, the people of the kingdom called it. Carken meant 'The Flight Of Evil' in the Old Language, and is now rarely used. This topic is rarely known or discussed: The very mention of the names brings destruction to the speaker. _

"_The Carken Ages are rarely remembered; the crystal Starseeker forgotten. But the legend lives on – Krashun, Strath, Lepse, Normed. Those who seek shall find, those who find shall die and those who die shall forever be cursed, to burn in the depths of the Underworlds."_

Jasmine looked up. "You found all this, and still you did not sleep?" she asked in credulity. "Surely you must have searched in the Annals first!"

Lief nodded. "I did, but I was reading on some other things as well: the location of these pieces, for example. I did find something else…" he pushed a thick, dust-covered book over to her side. "Read this."

"The Forbidden 

"_The legend of the Starseeker has been long forgotten – I am not sure if it exists in the Deltoran Annals or not – but the memory of that fateful night still lives on. The shattered remnants of the crystal flew across the kingdom of their own accord, two to the Northeast and two to the Southwest. They disappeared across the horizon, the first rays of the dawning sun tinting them various shades of pink, red and orange. None have returned alive after seeking them: I suspect Thaegan and her beastly children have a thing or two to do with this event. I can still clearly remember which two flew northeast and which two flew southwest. Although I am forbidden to mention their true names, I shall write them here. This will signal the end of this book and the end of my existence. Strath and Lepse flew Northwest, and Krashun and Normed –"_

Jasmine looked up. "A line of ink flew over the page, destroying its neatness. Sorcery," she noted with grimness.

"Too true," her lover replied. "At least we know more of these shards."

"You must remember never to mention their names," Barda warned.

"We are not younglings anymore," Lief stated with a trace of a smile on his tired face. "You will come with us?"

"Doom will look after my Hand-Chosen; I will."

"Let us leave now, then," Lief muttered, then stood up, holding onto the table for support.

"Wait! Even if there is a plot to kill you, you must rest. I shall instruct some of my men to guard you as you sleep, and Jasmine will be there too, will you not?"

"Of course I will. If he dies…"

"If I die, Jasmine. If."

"Yes. If. I will stay by your bed."

"We leave tomorrow. I will be back shortly. On the other hand, Jasmine? Please escort Lief to his chambers. He needs to get a lot of overdue rest." Barda left to call his guards. Top-notch guards.

Jasmine pecked her love on the cheek and stared at him, blushing. "Time for bed," she stated, a smile brightening her features. The guards had not arrived yet, and there was still time for a little playing around.

"What about you? What will you do?"

"Something."

"As in…"

"I don't know. I'll probably speak with the guards or polish my weapons, of course."

Lief smiled. "Always the wild life."

Jasmine smiled back. "Always the safety of my loved ones, rather."

As Lief slipped into the realms of sleep, he heard Jasmine call his name, and pried his eyes open. "Yes?"

"I think Aradia's following us."

"In which way?"

"To give the kingdom success. If the hurrok hadn't slashed Kree in two, we would have never met the Spirit, nor find out about the crystal, no?"

"You do have a point there."

Jasmine smiled. "And a strong one at that."

"Yes, I believe you: Aradia does seem to be following us."

From the shadows of the vast chamber, a wisp of mist fluttered gently, seeming to be giggling.

END

All right, I think that's it, for now… I'll be back with the next ficcy in the DQ4 series!

I can't believe I've gotten this far, and with 52 reviews or so, it's more than a thirteen-year-old girl can ask for. :) Thanks so much to all my reviewers, especially the ones who reviewed every chapter and all! Ahem –BabylonianPrincess and PJBlindclown- ahem and you other people I can't remember the names of at the moment. Sorry, but you all still have a special place in my heart! Winks


	13. Author's Note

All right you guys, this is not a chapter... (Not yet, at least!) But it's just an explanation, all right?

Um... to **Starlit Moonshadow**... This is mainly for you... the last chapter was just saying that some random assassin-people were looking for Lief, because he's the king and he "owns" the Belt of Deltora and they want to sell the jewels or something... um... anything else? Oh yeah... the readings or whatevers, the things in italics rather... that's just saying that the crystal has a name (_Starseeker_) and that the four separate pieces have a name each (_Krashun, Strath, Lepse, Normed_)as well. I just put it verbosely so that people would kinda believe it really was from a book.

The first of the two pieces in _italics_ is from the Deltora Annals, right? It's just another legend-y thing, telling the reader how Starseeker came about.

The second tells the reader where the pieces went so that Jasmine, Lief and Barda would have an easier time finding them. They don't have any clues other than these, remember?

And the 'wisp of mist' thingy... ah, if you read the last few lines closely, you would know who – or what – it was.

:) Hope that made more sense!

P.S: I'm starting another fic (the next in this series) in early April – the Japanese billet. And I need a little time to myself. :) Vive le vacances! But I'll be back... so don't forget me... and if anyone has some suggestions (e.g: if there should be some sort of guardian, where it should be set...) I was thinking of the Vulcan, a spirit of the volcano... you're the reviewer. It's your choice.


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